Flipping a Class: Impact on Performance and Retention

In recent years, community colleges have received much criticism about the lack of retention among their students, with developmental students experiencing a higher dropout rate than students enrolled in college level courses. Also in the last several years, academia has seen a marked increase in the interest and implementation of an innovative teaching model, which has come to be known as the flipped classroom model. This model employs a teaching and learning paradigm that uses technology to take the traditional lecture outside of the classroom, thereby giving the instructor more time to spend interacting with and engaging students. This study compares two sections of a Basic Mathematics course at a community college and the impact of the flipped classroom model on student learning outcomes and retention. One section was taught using the traditional lecture model, and the other was taught using the flipped model. The students were tested before and after the course to compare the learning outcomes of each class. This study resulted in 85% of the students in the flipped course passing the class, while only 32% of the students in the traditional course passed. Thus, the positive impact of the flipped classroom model was evident in the passing rate of the students and ultimately in the retention of those students.